Help Get Krista Care

My name is Heather and I’m on the board for the non-profit ME-international. I’m organizing this fundraising appeal on behalf of my friend Krista Nurminen. If you are reading this, chances are you know and care about Krista and her children. I am writing this as someone who knows and adores Krista. She is one of the kindest, most engaging women I’ve ever met. She always has a smile and a kind word. She sang and played piano. She exercised several times each week. She was a loving wife and mother. When she was with her family, she was full of smiles and joy, with an abundance of activity and passion for many things. For those who are not aware of Krista’s condition, this is an explanation. : Krista suffers from severe Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or ME. It’s a multi-system disorder that leads to cardiac, neurological, immunological, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Unfortunately, it’s not well understood and there is no cure. In Finland, ME, is considered a mental illness, and finding medical treatment is almost impossible. Watching her struggle with ME is heartbreaking, as I know she yearns to feel alive again, to be more active in daily life, and to resume activities so many of us take for granted. Times are extremely tough for Krista. She is bedridden, and oftentimes too tired to speak, move or eat. The cost of medical care, testing, and treatments are overwhelming and seem insurmountable. She also suffers from Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Post Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), migraines, and depression. Krista has had ME for eight years. The challenges of this disease led to Krista’s divorce and subsequent loss of custody of her children. As a result, she hasn’t seen them in almost a year. She pretends to be happy when they occasionally phone and her heart breaks. The emotional toll and trauma only make ME worse. Krista lives in a tiny cabin isolated from everyone except her mother. Krista can no longer walk or care for herself. She is so exhausted her mother needs to feed her. Krista’s days are spent in bed where she needs to constantly rest in order to avoid any exertion that can worsen her condition. It’s a devastating illness that has robbed her of her life. Krista is hoping for support to see a functional medical specialist to help her better manage her symptoms. She needs to pay for doctor’s appointments, testing, treatment, and medications. She is hoping to get strong enough to reunite with her son and daughter. She would appreciate any kindness you can offer. Thank you so much!

Also for the purposes of full transparency, because of the fact that Finland does not allow withdrawal of gofundmes, the non-profit me-international will be withdrawing the funds and transferring them to Krista.